Story+1978-12-20+Seattle,+WA

“Seattle. . . Ho! Ho! Ho! . . . Merry Christmas. . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´Badlands´" **

"How’ve you guys been up here, huh ? (cheers)....where’s the snow? I thought it’d be snowing by now....this is, uh, this next song, this is a song I wrote about three or four years ago, how many of you guys heard us on the radio the other night? (cheers)...then you’ll get some different stuff here, this is uh....this is an old song of mine, this is called ´Rendezvous´ and it’s been out on some bootlegs and stuff . . . _____ here right now this is my girlfriend’s birthday, this is for you, Joyce [Hyser], alright....”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´Rendezvous´" **

“Catch the spirit. . . What? . . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´Spirit In The Night´" **

“(?) anybody, who drive through the darkness on the edge of town, this is for you. . ."
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´Darkness On The Edge Of Town´" **

“This is a song. . . I’m gonna do some uh, different stuff that we done on the radio (?). . . this is uh, this is a song that I wrote a while ago that we recorded while we were recording Darkness On The Edge Of Town but we never released it, maybe it’ll be on, a new album, try to, try and start in February sometime (cheers)(chuckles), and uh, it’s called Independence Day, this is for anybody that, just left home this year so. . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´Independence Day´" **

“(?) (Bruce has a short conversation with fan(s) upfront that is mostly off mic and inaudible). ..
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´The Promised Land´"**

(…) Steve Van Zandt on the guitar. . . Clarence Clemons on the saxophone. . .”

“See if you can prove it all night. ..
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´Prove It All Night´" **

(…) Roy Bittan on the piano. . . Max Weinberg on the DRUMS. . . (?) . . .”

"We’re gonna play this old song we used to play for, for you, we haven’t played it in a long time . . . try to remember words(?) . . . (long pause while they talk it over) . . . (?) (chuckles) . . . Now, here’s a song we used to do two or three years ago and uh.....we’re gonna try it again....(music starts)....I’ll tell you a story, this is about....I used to live in this house, was right on this main drag in town, was on a street called South Street....was in this town called Freehold, New Jersey, was about 20 miles inland from Asbury....and it was right next door to this gas-station....Slattery’s Sinclair, was a Sinclair Station ..... with the dinosaurs....I used to sit out on the porch, you know, every night....me and Steve used to sit out there, I knew Steve a long time...and....every day about 5 o’clock … Bring it down a little bit boys . . . (band brings it down) . . . alright, every day about 5 o’clock, this girl’d walk by the house....she was the kind of girl you will see but you’d never go up and talk to her or nothin’, you know, like we’d never go to talk to anybody because our noses were so big, you see (chuckles)....something like that ...can hamper you in life, you know, if you let it get to you (chuckles) it’s uh, so anyway, we sat there on a stoop....with our big noses (chuckles) and like, and we’d watch this girl walk by every single day for I don’t know how long, all summer long and we decided....that we were gonna try to....we’d get some guitars....go down to Western Auto, got my first guitar at the Western Auto store.....it was hanging up beside the mufflers, $18.95 (chuckles) I said ´Gimme that one, mister´...I got the thing and we came back, I played the guitar....he played the tambourine (chuckles) (Bruce makes some funny noises) and like....you know, but she walked by and wouldn’t even notice, didn’t even look, we’d be out there doing ´Twist and Shout´, doing all our moves....so I got all these moves, every day I’d be out in front of my house (chuckles)...you know, nothing...and then for a while we realized we wasn’t the only guys on the block trying to catch her attention....we’d be sitting there....and we’d see Clarence, who we didn’t know at all at the time, come by riding on his bicycle, with no hands, playing the saxophone (wild cheers) .... we said ´Damn, if that cat can’t get her attention, we ain’t got a chance´....that was right, we didn’t and we never did (chuckles) so I don’t know where she is now....back, back home maybe....Big Man....you guys remember what we used to, remember that name we used to have for her?...we didn’t know what her name was....
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´´Pretty Flamingo” **

(....) Hey Big Man....you know, sometimes....I used to think about going back there, sitting there some, for some reason I think she’s still walking by....you know what I was gonna do? .... I was gonna get all my records and carry ´em....and when she came down the street, I’d bump into her, ´Oops, excuse me, dropped my records´...´Oh.....oops, dropped my Time and Newsweek´ (wild cheers). . . she probably ain’t there no more anyway....she’ll never know. . . . hmmmm, Pretty Flamingo....”

“E Street Band. . . Roy Bittan on the piano … Steve Van Zandt. . . The Big Man. . . Thanks. . . We’re gonna take a 20 minute break and then we’re gonna be right back and then we’ll do another set for you. . . I’ll see you in about 20 minutes, okay? . . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, Intermission Chat after ´Jungleland´" **

“Guys, this is a brand new song, this is callllled … The Ties That Bind. . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´The Ties That Bind´" **

"It was the night before Christmas.....and all through the Park.....not a creature was stirring except me and Miami Steve.....we were sitting in this little bar down....about a block in off the boardwalk (some guy yells) this guy was there too (chuckles)....we were sitting there.....we just got done playing....and we were moping and stuff about, you know, here it is Christmastime, we got no girlfriends, we ain’t got no money....and it was about, around 3.30, we started to walk home....and it started snowing....and we lived in this place....was 1610 6th Avenue in Asbury Park....we were up like three floors, we, we lived in the attic....and we slept on these little couches....it was actually Steve’s place....´cause I moved in, I moved, I moved out of this surfboard factory I used to live in....so we went home....I made myself a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich (chuckles) . . . right, we people know how to live....Steve made himself some Pop-Tarts. . . no class, no class (chuckles) and....we went to sleep...before we lay in there, we hit the lights out and we go ´Oh boy, some Christmas´....I said ´Man, I don’t go for that Santa Claus stuff anyway, man, that’s a bunch of junk, you know, it’s like.....that’s nothing, you know´....but just in case, I’d written what I wanted on a little piece of paper and stuck it underneath my pillow....you know, it’s good to be covered in this world, you never know (chuckles)....so sure enough....4 or 5 in the morning.....we awoke to the sound of some scratching outside our window....I said ´Steve, oh shit....that might be, that might be´....(some guy yells ´Santa Claus´) that’s what we thought at first but it was these two dudes trying to get in to steal our guitars and amplifiers....we chased them away, you know, with our karate moves....(chuckles) and then we went back to bed....but about an hour later we awoke again to some scratching on the roof....we thought these cats came back! . . . so we said (chuckles),. . . I got, I got my electric mixer in one hand (chuckles) and we get up there and it’s real dim but sure enough....there’s somebody trying to stuff something into our chimney, I said ´Steve, these, these two guys came back, they’re trying to throw a bomb down our chimney, man (?) we’ll get those cats, let’s do it. . . Get him, go Steve … oh … oh. . . oh shit. . . you just knocked out fucking Santa Claus, man!....no, it was your idea, man ..... wait till your little sister finds out, she’s probably waiting for this dude right now.... hey, Santa, come on, come around, baby....oh....cat might wake up and beat us to death with an Erector-set (chuckles)....Santa, speak to me, baby (chuckles)...I think he’s coming around, Steve....(Santa goes ´Ho, ho, ho´ a mess of times)....”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´Santa Claus Is Coming to Town´ **

"(?) . . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´Fire´**

". . . You make me feel alright (chuckles) . . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, after ´She’s The One´ **

"It´s just me and you, baby....little girl, I remember you....baby, I remember you..... down on Richmond Avenue....down on Richmond Avenue....with your hair piled high ....and that look in your eye....for every boy that was passing you by....and I remember the way he held your hand....he looked so satisfied....he looked so satisfied...and I remember...checking outside of town....and I remember this stripped-down Cadillac ....and I remember you riding in back.....baby, riding in back....yeah, riding back.....I was swore I’d take you anyplace you’d wanna go....I swore for you I’d drive all night anytime anyplace....I’d drive all night anytime anyplace....I’d drive all night just to see your face....just to buy you some shoes....and just to check you out....and just to buy you a Christmas present....I’d drive all night, I remember I swore....that I’d drive all night....and I remember you promised that you’d never leave without me....you promised that you’d never leave without me....and I remember, like everything else was back then....like everybody else around me did....that you promised.....you promised....but baby, you lied.....baby, you lied....baby, you lied.....baby, you lied..... baby, you lied.....baby, you li-li-li-lied.....yes, you li-li-li-lied.....baby, you li-li-li-lied .....pretty li-li-li-lies, you were so young and you could tell such pretty lies....you could tell such pretty lies....and now you’re back....and I wanna know why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, WHY ?....”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, middle of ´Backstreets´**

"Oh yeah....this is our, this is our last show before Christmastime, this is our 117th show (chuckles) wo!....I just wanted to, uh, take a, take a second and, I’ve been out since May 23rd and I’ve got, oh, about 25 other people out here with me in the crew and there’s Marc that’s been doing the lights for me for five years and he’s been so great....(?)....spotlight him, where is he? (chuckles)....and Bruce Jackson doing the sound for us and . . . _____ our production manager, there’s just about, I guess, there’s about 25 other people and like uh, but they’re just the best crew in the world and, uh....and I just love ´em all, I just wanna wish ´em all Merry Christmas and you guys Merry Christmas (?) . ..
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro & band intros to ´Rosalita´ **

(…) . . . and on the piano, a warm round of applause for, professor Roy Bittan. . . on the guitar, Mr. Miami Steve Van Zandt. . . on bass guitar, Mr. Gary W. Tallent. . . on the drums, The Mighty Max. . . on the organ, Mr. Dan Federici. . . and last but not least. . . do I have to, say his name? . . . is it a bird? (Crowd: ‘No!’). . . is it a plane? (Crowd: ‘No!’). . . is it The Big Man! (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . on the saxophone, Mr. Clarence Clemons. . .”

"I want to thank everybody for coming down to the show. Thank you very much. . . . _____ _____ . . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro of ´Born To Run´**

"All I got to say you guys is, a-1, 2, 3, 4, . ..
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro, middle & end of ´Detroit Medley´ **

(…) . . . How many of you guys heard us on the radio the other night there? (cheers). . . oh, we got to this part of the song. . . every night, the hall manager. . . makes me take out, a 50-dollar insurance policy. . . because of this section. . . now, I gotta tell you that I’m not the one in danger, but if there’s anyone in the crowd tonight, that has a weak stomach or a weak heart or a mother in Hackensack, New Jersey, could you please step out into the lobby as this might, be dangerous, to your health. . . not you guys! . . . it’s so dangerous that it even scares the band. . . they’re shaking....you see, first, we do this. . . and then, we do this. . . that’s not so bad. . . you might even get off with just light injuries. . . when we do this. . . are you sure you wanna stick around ? (cheers). . . I warned you, don’t sue me, sue yourself. . . Big Man! . ..

(…) . . . spinning, spinning, spinning. . .”

"We’ll surprise ya . . . a-1, 2, 3, 4 . . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, middle of ´Tenth Avenue Freeze Out´ **

"I just want to tell you, I had a great time tonight and this is uh, you know, I couldn’t have had a better way to end this part of our tour, so I want to thank you all very much (wild cheers) . . . And nooow, let’s rock . . .  . . . Somebody stop me! . . . before I hurt myself . . . (band stops) . . . Are you talking to me? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’) . . . Are you talking to me? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . Are you talking to me? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . You better talk louder than that (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’) . . .  . . . You gotta be kiddin’ . . . you gotta be tired . . . You can’t be serious . . .  . . . You tired yet? . . . Ain’t you tired yet? . . . Anybody in Washington tired? . . .  . . . What about now? . . .  . . . I’m just a prisoner . . . of ROCK AND ROLL! . . . Do you know what I mean? . . . Are you sure now? . . . I can’t go home unless you’re sure. . . do you know what I mean? . . . . . . Goodnight. . . Happy New Year. . . Merry Christmas. . . ____ let it rock. . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, ALL of ´Quarter to Three´**

(…) . . . (Fans shouting ‘Bruce’ when one then says, ‘Aw, c’mon, hey . . . the night’s still young!’) [And right he was!]”

"One, two, gimme some echo, . . . alright, this is for the crazies, this is for (?)....”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, intro to ´Rave On´**

". . . Bring it down now (band brings it down) . . . We are going crazy up here right now . . . (Bruce and band improvise) . . . Gimme that G now . . . This … is the big one . . . I want to hear you all shout it . . . And I want to hear you all singin’ after me, okay? (Those left: ‘Okay!’) . . . (band up to end) . . .”
 * 20.12.78 Seattle,WA, middle of ´Twist and Shout´ **

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi & Roulette909//